A/N: For those enjoying the story thus far, I appreciate all your kind words and support! I've been in a bit of a rut with trying to fill in certain areas of this story. The amount of times I have rewritten this chapter is staggering. Any praise or criticism you have I will kindly receive; I want to continue on improving my writing and world-building. So, if there are things you think I could do better (or do particularly well) please do let me know! It'll help me with the story moving forward.

Unease

By the time Alexandro's faculties had returned to him, he was no longer in the alleyway. Instead he found himself in his home, laying on his bed, his friends sitting around him with caring yet concerned expressions. Cornyx had his lower lip between his teeth as he watched him from the nearby wall. Andre's brows were furrowed as his hulking body occupied their small chair while he studied his body. Karla's hat was off as she met his confused stare, a look of worry on her pale face. Selene was seated next to him, seeming to be the most concerned with both her hands gently wrapped around his hand. He blinked rapidly a few times; it was jarring to have been in one place then suddenly be somewhere else.

Even more jarring were the memories that quickly surged back into his mind. He recalled Varro's rage, thoughts of Anri intruding in his mind, and the overwhelming sense of anxiety that crippled him. He could still feel the lingering touch of anxiety brushing against his soul as his mind even briefly wandered to the thought of Anri.

"How do you feel?" Cornyx quietly asked, figuring that was as good a question as any to open things up if his pupil wished to talk.

Alexandro turned his eyes to him and parted his mouth to speak, however he was uncertain of how to answer. Currently, he just felt numb, very numb. Even the feeling of Selene squeezing his hand wasn't able to stir any feeling within him. "I feel so…so drained." It was as if he had most of his energy sapped from him.

"It appeared that you had a severe anxiety attack; I'd say that makes sense. It probably exhausted all of your energy and overwhelmed your senses," Karla said, understanding very well the effects anxiety could have on someone. She wished to ask what caused him to feel that way but didn't want to risk stirring those feelings up again and send him spiraling.

Luckily, she didn't need to wait long. "Varro began shoving me, demanding to know who I was. He doesn't believe that that we are just travelers, he suspects more…I wanted to shove him back. I wanted to keep him away and try to keep talking. But when I did, I thought of the last time I ever raised a hand against someone I cared about, and I remembered her." Alexandro didn't need to elaborate who he was referring to. Everyone there knew. Everyone saw him as Anri killed him sixteen times and sent him back to Firelink Shrine each time. His broken demeanor, his vacant expression every time he returned, painfully aware that he couldn't simply leave her to hollow. And when he finally managed to kill her, the breakdown that followed his return.

"What happened after he shoved me? I only recall being held and someone standing in front of me. After that my memory is blank aside from flickering images." Alexandro didn't elaborate on what those images were. They didn't need to know that he kept seeing Anri's corpse through tear-stained eyes. His friends were concerned enough as it was and likely wished to validate him and soothe him. However, that wasn't what he needed right now. He needed to understand just what had happened, that would determine how he moved forward from here.

"Cornyx saw what was happening and informed all of us. Anastasia went to grab her father. He's the one who intervened. He did a good job at deescalating the situation…Better than what I would have done, I was tempted to just throw a spell and toss him on his ass," Karla stated, attempting to hide the frustration in her tone. She hadn't taken lightly to watching her student get shoved around.

"After that, I carried ye' back here to rest. It hasn't been long; you've only been laying here for a few minutes."

Alexandro slowly sat up and was quiet for a time, trying to focus his mind and rationalize all that had happened. "Dost thou wish to speak thy feelings?" Selene offered gently as Alexandro rested his head upon her shoulder.

He considered the idea for a time before slowly shaking his head. "I am a bit too drained. I'm not up for talking about it. I'm alright, I just need to breathe."

"Perhaps some food will do us all well then?" Selene asked, feeling relief as a smile spread across Alexandro's face and he nodded. To see him smile again, it put her heart at ease.

"Yeah, I think some food would be wonderful right now."

For the rest of the night, the group remained huddled up in Selene and Alexandro's home around the dining room table, conversing and sharing stories. It took some time, but Alexandro was slowly able to let himself relax and fall into regular conversation with the others. He had attempted a few times to get the Shrine Handmaiden to speak again, but each time was only met with a gentle smile.

"We have no clue why she decided to stop speaking, but nothing has been able to get her to change her mind…Except for earlier that is," Karla offered as Alexandro dejectedly gave up on trying to coax words from the elderly woman's mouth.

"It was certainly eerie when she spoke earlier…" Cornyx said quietly, assisting Selene in distributing the stew that had been cooked up. "I thought the flow of the abyss had been staunched all those years ago by Knight Artorias when he defeated Manus."

Alexandro's lips pursed together as he contemplated the situation. He'd known of Artorias and his story, learning about it before he faced off against the Abyss Watchers. "The flow may have reduced but not sealed entirely, perhaps. Otherwise why would the Abyss Watchers have existed? Maybe now with the darkness having returned, so has the abyss."

"I still wonder just how much of a threat it may pose. Those beings we saw seemed harmless during our travels, they certainly never sought us out. Maybe their existence and what happened at this southern settlement the council mentioned isn't correlated," Cornyx offered, though even he seemed to doubt the words he was saying as he took a seat at the wooden dining room table.

"We can ponder such matters tomorrow, for now let us simply enjoy the peace of tonight," Selene said definitively, seating herself last as all the food had been distributed. And so they all ate, Selene assisting the Shrine Handmaiden by feeding her, while they all slipped back to a much more relaxed topics of conversation. An air of peace fell over the group as they put the stress of the world in the back of their minds, at least for the night.

All was tranquil until Cornyx decided he wanted to spice up the evening.

"So, you two have been settled in here for quite some time, haven't you?" Cornyx was answered by a nod from Alexandro, who was preoccupied chewing his food. "I see, I see…I'm wondering, when do you think you two will be making me an uncle?" Alexandro began to choke loudly on Selene's stew, rocking in his chair. Selene's eyes widened at the question and she quickly found the floor to be an interesting place to divert her gaze towards.

"C-Cornyx…!" Alexandro rasped, trying to get a piece of cabbage to properly go down his throat. His face was red, but it was from more than just choking.

"What!? When I saw Anastasia today, I just began to wonder when there'd be a miniature Selene or Alexandro running around! I mean, hey, it isn't like I'm not getting any younger here."

"You're not that old!" Alexandro shouted after having chugged some water and cleared up his throat.

"That's beside the point."

"You know, I do think Aunt Karla has a rather nice ring to it," Karla chimed in before Alexandro could retort. "Seeing Anastasia today reminded me of just how much I love the boundless energy of children and their natural curiosity."

"Not thou as well…" Selene groaned, burying her face into her hands.

"Now, now. I don't think this is a matter in which we should be prying," Andre added solemnly, taking a sip of his stew straight from the bowl and giving a sagely nod. Alexandro exhaled a bit in relief. Finally, a voice of reason on the matter. "Just how frequently Selene and Alexandro have intercourse is none of our concern. Perhaps they have been trying and going at it like rabbits-"

"Don't you people have any table manners!" Alexandro exploded, burying his crimson face in his hands. "Did all those months travelling make you forget how to be civilized!?" Cornyx cackled across the table from him, holding his sides. Even Karla made no effort to veil her laughter behind her large pointed hat.

"Come now pupil, there's no harm in the question! I mean, unless you're having issues. In that case, I may be able to make a tonic of virility-"

There was no hesitation as Alexandro leapt across the table, knocking Cornyx from his chair and onto the floor as he began to throttle him. "I'll show you virility!" Alexandro grounded out between his teeth as the two men grappled, Cornyx still laughing all while being manhandled.

"You'll show me virility? My curiosity is piqued, pupil. Care to explain what that'll entail?" Cornyx teased further, barely managing to keep Alexandro from flipping him over onto his stomach, clutching onto his blue tunic to maintain leverage. Karla watched in amusement as the two wrestled with one another, having no desire to get between the two. Andre had contemplated it briefly but saw no harm in their grappling and was far more interested in Selene's stew. It'd been months since he they'd had a well-cooked meal.

"There are no concerns within our bedroom. Alexandro is more than passionate and vigorous. We have simply decided not to have a child in these uncertain times." All was still after Selene's bold statement, her candid answer stunning everyone. Even Alexandro and Cornyx paused their roughhousing at Selene's forthright answer, staring at her with slack jaws.

Well, that had certainly answered Cornyx's question.

There were a few moments of silence before the Shrine Handmaiden began to quietly laugh. Her gentle, tinkling chuckle opened the floodgates as everyone in the dining room began to burst into laughter. Even Alexandro and Cornyx were laughing as they remained tangled on the floor in a heap. The absurdity of the banter became apparent to Selene as she hid her laughter behind her hand, happy to put an end to the awkwardness.

"See, that's all you had to say dearest pupil," Cornyx teased from beneath Alexandro. His only response was a playful slap upside the head.

Soon, Alexandro and Selene's guests departed back to their home on the other end of New Astora. They had both offered to guide the way for them, but Andre staunchly refused, not wanting to expend anymore of their hospitality. Once they had left and closed the door behind them Alexandro sagged back into his chair, softly laughing while dragging his hand across his face. "I forgot just how much of a handful they can be sometimes. Especially Cornyx."

"Cornyx and thee certainly have an amusing dynamic," Selene admitted, chuckling as well as she carried their dishes to the iron tub across the room.

Alexandro assisted her, gathering up the bowls and cups on his side of the table, "Yeah, he always knows how to heckle me in the right way. However, I was ready to put him in an armbar when he started talking about virility."

Selene couldn't help but to laugh at the image in her head. Knowing Cornyx, armbar or not, he probably would continue to taunt her beloved either way. "It can always be expected for Karla and Andre to partake in the banter as well, egging you two on," She said, placing the dirty dishes in the tub to soak.

"Or for Andre to act like an embarrassing grandfather," Alexandro responded, placing his dishes in the tub as well, chuckling as he recalled the man mentioning something about mating like rabbits. However, his attention was turned away from the memory as Selene touched his face and gently turned them to her.

He blinked a few times before an easy smile spread across his lips and he leaned in, hooking his arm around her waist, gripping the soft fabric of her dark gray robe. "You did a good job shutting Cornyx up with talking about my passion."

"Thou certainly have no lack of energy or vigor, I couldn't allow him to slander thou in such a way," Selene quietly responded, closing the distance between them as their bodies pressed together. One hand rested on her beloved's cheek and the other was pressed against the azure tunic he wore, his burning skin could be felt beneath it.

Alexandro looked down towards her dearest, lifting a hand to gentle brush away strands of her platinum locks as he appreciated the beauty of her face. The way her milky eyes reflected the shimmering light of the fireplace. The way her platinum tresses framed her lovely face. He couldn't possibly explain his adoration of her. So, he simply expressed it with a fiery kiss as their bodies melded together, clumsily stumbling back towards the bedroom.

Neither Selene nor Alexandro arose early the next day, both having expended more than enough energy throughout the night. Alexandro didn't have guard duty until later in the evening and Selene's students had scheduled today as their day off for personal practice. As a result, both of them remained cuddled up with each other beneath the covers, whispering sweet things to one another as they lounged about. The only thing that rose them from their relaxation was a gentle knocking upon their door.

Alexandro groaned as he sat up, displeased about being disturbed from his leisurely day. "What're the odds that it's Cornyx," He mumbled, slowly slipping out of bed and searching for his pants to pull on, finding them discarded by the door of their bedroom.

"I am doubtful, Cornyx wouldn't have ceased knocking," Selene mumbled in response, somewhat displeased about her heat source having been stripped away from her.

Alexandro huffed as he buckled his pants up, briskly walking towards the door, swinging it open. He quickly regretted not throwing on a tunic in his rush to open the door, leaving him shirtless as he stared down both Varro and Cynthia.

Despite his slight embarrassment, Varro seemed to be the one who was the most flustered, his eyes turned away and focused on the door frame. Meanwhile, Cynthia seemed hardly fazed by Alexandro's shirtless presence. Instead she kept her amber eyes locked squarely on his face. Despite her short stature and the swelling of her stomach, she still stood as an imposing figure.

"So, I heard that you two had a bit of a squabble yesterday." It was less of a question but more of a direct statement. Alexandro could only slowly nod in response to the statement. Squabble may be a gentle way of phrasing it. What in the world was going on right now?

Thankfully, Cynthia's fierce gaze redirected itself over to Varro who was focused intently on the door frame. "Well, what do you have to say for yourself?" Cynthia spoke like a mother chastising a child, her tone firm and unyielding.

Varro was quiet for a moment before slowly turning his head to Alexandro, looking him in the eye. "I'm sincerely sorry for my outburst yesterday. I…I shouldn't have reacted that way, there are better ways to express my feelings."

Cynthia's gaze whipped right back to Alexandro as she pointed a finger at his bare chest. "And now what do you have to say?" Is this what being scolded was like?

Alexandro faltered for a moment, unsure of his words. "I'm…sorry for lying to you. I should have been more forthright with what happened." His words were sincere, he did truly feel bad and he probably could've handled it better. He didn't quite expect this to be the way that apologies were shared, but he couldn't deny that it was effective. Cynthia was a stern mediator.

"Great. I just saved you two from weeks of brooding and Selene and I from weeks of having to deal with it. Now, shake hands and go on a walk or something to talk about your issues like grown adults." Alexandro had known that Cynthia was a direct person, but he hadn't quite expected this. Regardless, he extended his hand and wondered if Varro would return the favor. Varro seemed apprehensive for a moment, but ultimately conceded and clasped his hand with Alexandro's, shaking it firmly.

"Cynthia? Varro?" Selene exited from their bedroom, fully clothed unlike her beloved. "What an unexpected surprise."

Cynthia's face split into a wide grin as she waddled past Alexandro to enter their home, cradling her stomach as she walked, "I heard our boys got into a bit of a tussle yesterday. I could only tolerate so many hours of Varro brooding in our room before I decided it was better to handle the issue." Just like that, her stern mood washed away, replaced by a much more causal demeanor now that Selene was present.

"I wasn't brooding," Varro retorted, his face flushing in embarrassment. Cynthia disregarded his words with a nonchalant hand wave, seating herself comfortably on their couch.

Selene couldn't help but chuckle, sitting down next to her friend. "I am certain it would have only been a matter of time before Alex began his grumbling. I thank ye for taking the initiative." Alexandro huffed at the assertion that he would begin to grumble but kept his words to himself, walking off to go and find the rest of his clothing.

"Of course! With this little one on the way I couldn't afford to have to take care of two babies." Varro audibly groaned, only growing more flustered by his wife's taunts. "Oh hush, I was tired of watching you stare gloomily into the fireplace!" Cynthia gestured to Alexandro who returned from the bedroom, now covered with a shirt and with Lothric's Holy Sword strapped to his side. "Why don't you two boys go on a walk so you can resolve your issues. Give Selene and I time to talk."

Alexandro would have questioned being politely kicked out of his own home, but he couldn't deny that it would probably be a good idea for the two of them to talk in private. He spared a glance at Varro, shrugging his shoulders. "I've had enough of being heckled, want to get out of here?"

A ghost of a smile played across Varro's lips as he nodded, turning away. "Yeah, I don't want to be bullied by my wife anymore." He paused in the doorway, waiting for Alexandro to join him. "Her hormones have been off the charts lately."

"What was that!?"

"Nothing, love you sweetheart!" Varro responded, both men scrambling out of the door and hastily shutting it to avoid the shoe that was whipped towards them.

"You're probably going to pay for that comment later," Alexandro remarked with a smirk, both men falling into step with one another.

Varro shrugged his shoulders, chuckling to himself. "Yeah, probably. Oh well, I've always enjoyed the couch." Both men shared a laugh at the comment, but the tension was still notably present between the two. Their shared apologies had put them on speaking terms, but it didn't gloss over the issues at hand. Alexandro was still frustrated by Varro's actions towards his friends and Varro still felt betrayed by Alexandro's deception.

Yet, neither man knew how to begin that discussion.

Ultimately, after a block of walking in silence, it was Alexandro who took the first attempt. "I really am sorry for lying to you. I hope you can understand that I didn't do it out of malice or disrespect. It doesn't negate what I did, but I at least hope you understand that I was just concerned for the safety of my wife."

"I'll admit, it may take me some time before I can genuinely forgive you. Trust is a delicate thing, Alex. Now that I have had time to think on it, I can understand your perspective, but it doesn't change what you did." Varro sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "However, as upset as I was, I shouldn't have lashed out at you or your friends. That was uncalled for and inappropriate of me. I hope that you can forgive me for that and understand that I wasn't thinking clearly. With all of this stuff going on and a child so close at hand, my mind has been erratic."

Alexandro nodded his head, that was a fair response. He didn't expect an apology to completely fix everything, Varro was still upset, and he had a right to be. But they were at least on the path towards mending what had been broken and that was a start. Now, that left Alexandro with Varro's apology.

"I do forgive you for what you did. I know emotions can flare during intense situations; I won't hold that against you. But I want to be crystal clear on something moving forward, Varro." Alexandro paused in the street, his tone firm as he spoke, "You can do whatever you want to me. Yell at me, push me, whatever. That can be reconciled and discussed. But do not ever target my friends or family as a way to convey a message to me." Varro felt his body tense a bit as Alexandro's jade eyes bore into him. There was an intensity and edge to his eyes that Varro had never seen before. The threat of Alex's words was inexplicit, but it was still there, beneath the surface.

"I understand," Varro responded, doing his best not to shrink from the overwhelming pressure of Alexandro's stare. The line in the sand had been established and he had no interest in crossing it.

"Alright, good to hear then." Just like that, Alexandro's intensity dissipated as he continued to stroll along the cobblestone pathway. Varro allowed himself to finally breath, shaking off the unnerving presence of Alexandro.

"Are you okay after yesterday, by the way? You seemed…shaken. I'm sorry if something I did caused that to you." For this, Varro had felt deep remorse in his actions. He wasn't sure what exactly had happened, but he had felt bad watching his friend sit there panicking.

"It was just a memory from my past. I wanted to push you back, but I could only remember somebody important to me. It's nothing worth discussing and dwelling on." Alexandro remained intentionally vague, not wanting to go back into those memories and thoughts. That was something for him to work through in his own time, not during this walk with Varro.

Both men were silent for a time, strolling through the town square and passing by the groups of people that strolled through New Astora. Alexandro figured that their conversation was about done. Not everything had been solved, but they were on the right path. Varro could begin to work towards trusting Alexandro again, and Alexandro had set firm boundaries with him. However, Varro's mind hadn't let go of one important question.

"Alex, will you please tell me who you are…?"

Alexandro felt his heart skip a beat. He should have known that this fateful topic would arise at some point or another. Yesterday he had avoided it on account of his unexpected anxiety attack, but now there was no way around it. And he found that he had no idea of really what to say. 'Hey, I'm the one who abandoned my duty by ending the Age of Fire along with my wife who was the Firekeeper'? The complexity of it made Alexandro start to laugh a bit as he paused, running a hand through his hair that was still messy from bed.

"I'm not sure you'll believe me if I tell you," He admitted, looking to Varro.

"Alexandro, you can tell me you're a descendant of Gwyn's left nut and I'd probably take your word for it. It is more explainable than you just being some random traveler. And as long as you aren't some sinister harbinger of death and genocide, I'm sure I'll still see you as my friend."

Alexandro laughed further, nodding his head a bit. He could do this. He would just have to be honest. "It's nothing sinister, I assure you. I am one of the-"

The sound of alarm bells ringing sliced through Alexandro's words. Both men whirling towards the direction of the northern gate where the sound of shouts and bells ringing originated from.

"What the- The bells rarely ever ring. Come on, we need to go!" Varro shouted, sprinting through town, with Alexandro in close pursuit.

What was going on!? They didn't usually ring the bell for travelers like himself or his friends. In fact, he'd never known the sentries to ever use the bells except for one minor fire caused by a torch along the wall.

"Alexandro!" Varro called, making a sharp right turn and dodging a man who had come out of his house to see what the commotion was about. "Explanations can come later about who you are. But I need you to tell me now, can I trust you to protect this city as your home? Are you with me?"

"I'm with you, Varro!" Alexandro shouted above the clanging of the bells. "Selene and I will always protect New Astora!"

"That's all I needed to hear for now!" Varro called over his shoulder as they arrived at the main gate. Many guards had already rushed from their homes to the gate, still hastily dawning their equipment for whatever threat they may face.